


TURNABOUT

by KusakiChan15



Series: Turnaround is a Turnabout [1]
Category: Transformers: Prime
Genre: Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Angst, Drama, Fluff, M/M, Role Reversal, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:09:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21883516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KusakiChan15/pseuds/KusakiChan15
Summary: Megatronus has been living a great life among the high caste mechs but because of his origins, he feels the duty to make a change and fight for an equal Cybertron. He needs help. And what better place to find it than the Pits of Kaon.
Relationships: Megatron/Optimus Prime, Megatronus/Orion Pax
Series: Turnaround is a Turnabout [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1576435
Kudos: 32





	TURNABOUT

Heavy pedesteps echoed through the halls as a certain Medical Officer huffed his frustrations because of a certain mech. The said mech he had been searching for was overdue for his check-up and he  _ knew  _ that the said mech was probably buried under a pile of datapads once again in the Iaconian archives. This wasn't something new and certainly wasn't out of the ordinary now. All the bots and mechs that stood in his way made an immediate path because no one would dare come in the way of an angry mech with a wrench in servo ready to batter those who dare stop him in his tracks. Ratchet unceremoniously stomped through the entrance with more quietness about his movements. He was angry but he certainly wasn't going to make a ruckus in a public place... well not yet.

"Oh, Ratchet.  _ He's  _ overdue for his medical exam again, huh?", one of the clerks greeted with knowing. Because this certainly  _ wasn't _ the first time it happened. The kind mech chuckled before pointing to the very back of the archives where the medic's  _ target _ was supposedly studying. Ratchet gave a courtly bow of appreciation in return and moved to the said direction as swiftly (and quietly) as his pedes could go. He made long strides forward and a quick left turn when he reached the very back. 

The medic immediately stopped and found his dear friend and patient, snoozing in the far corner with an unfinished datapad in hand. He made an exasperated sound and went over with muted steps. He crouched beside the mech and observed the other's faceplates. Based on the drool on the edge of his dermas, he'd been out for quite some time. Ratchet felt bad for the guy deep down but that didn't mean that he could take his health so lightly.

He put a servo on the mech's pauldrons and began to shake him slightly. "Megatronus. Hey, wake up"

The slight shaking made the mech slide from his leaning position until his body fell sideways and his helm slams onto several pads that were stacked to his side. The immediate contact awakened the mech making him jerk up, battle protocols pinging from sudden distress.

“I’m up! I’m up!”, he said a bit more groggily than he meant to.

Ratchet just stared there, a bit surprised, then smiled with great fondness as his friend struggled to make sense while his systems were still rebooting. “Well, good morning to you too, sleepyhelm”

“R-Ratchet? What--?”

Megatronus eyed Ratchet still a bit confused. When everything was more clear and less blurry, he tried making sense of everything and began recalling what he had been doing before going into recharge.

“Oh, slag! My appointment!”

“Finally realized, hmm.”

The larger mech made an apologetic look.to his friend. He promised the medic that he wouldn’t miss his check-ups anymore yet he always ended up breaking the said promises because of work and exhaustion.

Ever since he had joined the higher ranks in the military, he was always put into so much work. Everyone had assumed that his large frame would equal an endless supply of stamina but they never thought to consider the mental strain it would cause his processor. Yes, his endurance was something he was proud of especially during his time in the mines but there was only a servo full of things to remember by in contrast to his work now.

“I’m very sorry, old friend. There were datapads I planned to get just before going to you. I swear. I just…” he raised a servo to his neck with an action akin to soothing the cables. “... I got a bit carried away”. The bigger mech let out a light-hearted chuckle which  _ did not _ certainly make Ratchet’s spark skip a beat. 

Ratchet immediately shook his helm, stood then offered the mech up to his pedes. Megatronus took the offered hand and the shift in positions dwarfed the medic. But it just goes to show how different their origins were. Megatronus took the unfinished datapad and several more into hand and checked them out with the same clerk that Ratchet had come across a few breams ago. But as they exited the archives, an eerie feeling washed over the larger mech accompanied by a figure the optic under his visor caught momentarily. The medic rose an optical ridge at his companion but the latter just brushed it off as a side effect of his stressed and overworked frame.

  
  


“There. That wasn’t so difficult now, was it?”, the medic said with amusement as he finally ushered Megatronus off the medical bay.

“Were my apologies not enough, Ratchet.” the larger mech said in a fake hurt tone. 

“I don’t need your apologies. What I need is your aft in the med bay every vorn on your scheduled check-up. Now shoo!”

Megatronus gave another genuine laugh and gave such a courtly bow as he bid farewell to Ratchet. He had no right to get mad at the medic because he was the only friend he really had in Iacon or anywhere else. He had learned to trust him like a brother. But only as one and nothing more. Megatronus knew of the feelings the medic harbored towards him but he knew he could never return those same feelings in kind. Other than that, it was fairly too dangerous for him and anyone else who was close to his spark. 

Despite the vast bright and glimmering city of Iacon, there was something dark and dangerous that loomed in its depths. Being the righteous mech that he was, it was his duty to uncover the truth no matter the odds. And he could not afford to drag any other Cybertronian if ever he got himself too deep. His spark would not be able to take it.

It wasn’t as if he wasn’t grateful for what the city has offered him. It just… It was  _ wrong _ and he could never turn a blind optic on that matter especially when he knew what it felt like to be the lowest of the low; to be treated like some rusted bucket of bolts, rotting in the Pits.

_ That reminds me… _

He took out a datapad from his subspace and began reading through it for the rest of his walk home. He had collected a few news articles in relation to any form of Cybertronian affairs. Among the articles he had read, there were limited amounts of information that retaliated the current government such as strikes or attacks or even coups. But what else could he expect? The Council had a tight grip on the information circulating in the intranet. There was nothing of the information that he needed if he only swam through the shallow waters. Right now, he needed to  _ dive _ as deep as possible if he wanted to get anywhere. He just hoped that he wouldn’t drown.

The moment he had arrived home, his massive bulk just fell onto the berth and just indulged in the softness of it. Just having the luxury of a home, a plush berth and access to basic necessities always reminded him of how far he had gone. He was a lucky mech. When he was still a low caste miner, he always had to endure small living spaces, dark tunnels, limited food sources and surfaces which he had to convert into makeshift berths just to get through a decent recharge. The only luxury for anyone to afford was the communal washracks. 

If he hadn’t stumbled across one of the abandoned mineshafts and saved that high caste mech then maybe he wouldn’t be where he was now. He wouldn’t have met Ratchet or had any of the things he currently possessed. He was still afraid that he would wake up one day and it was all just a dream and somehow he was still recharging on a pile of rocks somewhere down the mines.

Before he knew it, his optics were slowly closing down and his recharge cycle was beginning.

  
  


After several megacycles, Megatronus awoke to something. Hadean had already set on the horizon and only the artificial lights of the city illuminated his quarters through the windows. He slowly made his way to turn on the lights but that eerie feeling came back. It was absurd. No one could be able to get inside his quarters but he felt like someone or something was boring a hole through his helm with their stare alone. 

He opted to let the low glow of his visor to remain the same because suddenly setting it to its highest glow would make it seem like something was off. A few kliks went by when he finally decided to brush off that feeling and activated the lights. The large mech really needed to stop doing that to himself. The constant feeling of being monitored made his processor a mess. Other than the constant workload he had been given, these bizarre moments were what has added to his stress making him recharge less. Battle protocols were always on high alert even in the dead of night.

_ I really need help _

Megatronus settled back down onto his berth but without the intention to recharge. He has already gotten himself worked up that he didn’t feel tired anymore. His optics darted towards the ceiling and just stayed there, immersed in his thoughts. 

_ Maybe a bath would do me good _

Without a second thought, he was already up and in the racks. He turned on the faucet and started filling the tub with solvent. He darted across the tiny space and caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. His helm slowly turned towards his own reflection and was in deep thought. Even though he hasn’t even cleaned himself yet, his frame was relatively spotless. The silver of his platings shone despite another orn’s passing. It was so different when he was still in the mines. His  _ life _ was so different compared to the mines.

Unconsciously, his servo lightly brushed over his frame in time with the movement of his optics as he just observed his reflection, lingering on his scar a bit longer. It was a stupid question to ask yet it always came to processor every orn.  _ Is this real? Am I dreaming? I hope not. _

The sound of an overflowing tub managed to snap his processor back to reality. That was enough ogling for one orn - even though it was  _ his _ own frame. Turning off the tap and setting his visor aside, he tested the solvent and slowly eased himself into a comfortable position. It was only in these moments to himself that he got to be, well… himself. 

Having a large mech roaming the streets with red optics would have certainly frightened the citizens especially with a prominent scar across his faceplates. That was why he was advised to wear a visor to remedy the situation. And it was because of those circumstances that he met Ratchet. The young medical officer was very reluctant to talk to a former miner and only conversed when necessary. Yet that soon changed his mind when he found out that Megatronus knew a lot about the medical field. He was appalled by how much the larger mech knew despite his previous disposition. Later on, their conversational topics became more personal and there they were. Brothers.

And that was precisely why he did not have the heart to involve Ratchet with the plans he had in mind. He had experienced both sides of the spectrum and the righteous thing to do was to change the system. He did not wish for many to suffer as he had. Through the vorns, he had seen injustice. He wanted to do something about it. He voiced his processor yet it seemed that he still did not have that right. 

_ Is this how high caste Cybertronians are supposed to be? _

Well, screw that! If no one was going to make a move then he would make it his priority to change the system. It was an impossible feat. He knew this. But he got to where he was now for the sole reason of helping change the system. If he managed to do that then everything else was secondary.

**Author's Note:**

> Megatronus' Character design on my Tumblr  
> https://kusakichan15.tumblr.com/post/189788289394/character-design-for-megatronus-if-ya-like-my


End file.
